Don't Go Chasing Flies
by Alley-Kat-94
Summary: Ten months after the infamous Opera, Graverobber assumes Shilo is long gone. But he's proven wrong when he discovers her in the graveyard one night looking very different. Lem/Lang Rated M for the next few chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Graverobber counted his steps carefully. He had not been here in months, almost a year. He slinked towards the mausoleum, crouching amongst the statues near the entrance. Waiting for the flashing lights to pass, Graverobber thought back to the last time he'd scavenged this particular graveyard. He'd met Shilo Wallace that night. Perhaps on purpose, perhaps not.

Graverobber did not like secrets. In fact, seeing people lied to or blinded with fanfare pissed him off more than anything. When he saw Shilo that first time, she looked like any other teenager out causing trouble. But when Graverobber caught her disgust and confusion over what he was doing, it was obvious she was sheltered; lied to. Finding her at Blind Mag's show only proved that further, so he gave her a hard dose of truth then. But had that really helped? Shilo Wallace was one big secret. How was he to know how big?

When he told her about Blind Mag, it wasn't because he knew Rotti's plans. It was common gossip; sick, twisted entertainment, that's what he wanted to show. He didn't know what he was setting her up for, or that he unintentionally led her into Rotti's scheme. He didn't know, and it was that guilt that kept him downtown, away from the biggest mausoleum in the city.

He swatted at a big and watched it flit around his face before zipping out over the headstones. His mouth slid into a grin as the bug's gentle, blue glow tugged at the fond memory. A little girl chasing flies. He hoped wherever Shilo disappeared to, she still had that optimism. The image of her leaving the opera; drenched in blood, tears on her cheeks, but with that strong resolution in her eyes. It was almost enough to ease his guilt, knowing she rose above the corruption instead of crumbling under it.

It was a bad idea to come here. Ten months of distance was not enough time to squash the memories. That kid lost her whole world and he'd helped.

Suddenly, the bug's light went out. Graverobber had been watching it, but in a blink it was gone. He squinted into the darkness and just barely caught a shadow moving between the stones. He settled closer against the statue that hid him. GeneCops were practically multiplying overnight these days. Amber Sweet started a "clean up the streets" initiative. From then on, all new corpses were burned, their ashes swept away. Patrols were maximized in problem areas, particularly old graveyards that still housed bodies. Good for city planning, bad for Graverobber's business. No fresh corpses, no fresh Z. That's why he was here.

The shadow moved again, it stepped lightly, almost silent. As it got closer, Graverobber saw it was a person; small, hooded, in all black. He began backing up. Graverobber didn't want to deal with any baby Z peddlers tonight. He needed a major cash in, not to scuffle with wannabe teenagers.

But before he could slip down from his hiding place, a bell like voice caught him off guard.

"industrialization has crippled the globe…"

Graverobber's breath caught in his throat. That was his song, his pitch. But where he sang it poignant and fiercely, this voice was light, feminine…sad.

"…nature failed as technology spread…"

There was so much pain, the voice broke softly and Graverobber felt his body lock in place.

"…an endless wake, a market erected…"

It was so close. He dared to turn his head slightly. The hooded figure sat on the steps at the entrance to the tomb, maybe twelve feet from him. Her voice carried easily through the still night air.

"… an entire city built on top of the dead…"

Her breath rose and fell. They were his words but this was not Graverobber's song. He watched the girl, assuming the voice belonged to a girl, curl her knees up to her chest and trace her finger around the rim of a jar. The jar flickered with a blue glow.

With a shock that hit him like a slap to the face, he realized there was only one person who could be sitting there.

Singing his song.

Chasing bugs.

In a Graveyard.

"… and it's his job…"

He gasped into his hand, not remembering when he covered his mouth. She'd skipped ahead, choosing to sing about him. She was singing about him?

"… to steal and rob…"

Without giving himself time to think, or reconsider, Graverobber stepped down onto the ground. Pinning his back to the wall he edged closer to her, a little at a time. Finally getting close enough, just a couple feet away, he whispered the final word.

"Graves."

The hooded head snapped up, looking around quickly. She set the jar down on the step beside her and stood. When Graverobber saw her take a step forward, just inches in front of him, he reached out and grasped the back of her hood, pulling it down.

She whipped around.

Graverobber couldn't breathe.

Shilo Wallace stood before him, her big brown eyes boring into his. But that was the only thing that was the same.

He hadn't noticed when she was far away, but Shilo had grown at least three inches. Her face had also thinned, becoming more angular and mature. He hadn't imagined she'd have such defined cheekbones and full lips. She must get them from her mother, same as her hair. Gone was the thick, black wig. Her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, some stray bits falling from it and curling at her cheeks. A thin, pale scar ran down the side of her otherwise perfect chin.

She wasn't a kid anymore.

Before Graverobber could say anything, Shilo had wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. He froze, not sure what to do. When she pulled away he saw she was smiling broadly.

"I can't believe it's you." She said. He opened his mouth to reply but at that moment a light flashed across his eyeline and he instinctively sunk into a crouch. Shilo followed.

"Come on. This way." She said, snatching her bug jar off the steps before scurrying through the headstones into a dimly lit tomb. Graverobber hesitated before making the choice to follow.

So much for a major Zydrate score.


	2. Chapter 2

Shilo moved fast down the rugged tunnel, Graverobber struggled to keep his footing. He'd tried to talk to her but she'd raised a hand and pointed upwards silently. He looked up and saw thin storm grates running along the ceiling. Now it was getting much darker, no more grates, no more light, he was only following the sound of her thick-soled boots scraping against the stone.

Finally, a heavy sounding door opened and Graverobber stumbled forward into the foyer of the Wallace home. It was…empty.

He'd never been here but he had expected some kind of furnishing in such a high class neighborhood. Things like framed portraits, fainting couches, ornate chandeliers.

This room was empty, a chandelier did hang but the metal was dark and rusted. The hardwood floor was bare, no decorated rugs. The walls had a faded floral pattern that flaked off when Graverobber ran a hand along it.

"Love what you've done with the place…" He mumbled to himself. He then remembered who led him here and turned to see Shilo, sliding the secret fireplace door closed behind her.

She was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark leggings, perfect for skulking around tombstones. But it was clear that she'd developed as girls typically do. She had hips now, longer legs, feminine curves; Graverobber's mouth suddenly felt dry.

Shilo smiled at him.

"Hey." She said, her voice calm and a little deeper than it had been. Almost… sultry.

"Hey, Kid." Graverobber said, thinking of nothing else to call her. He'd never called her by her name. Why start now? Shilo's smile grew and he felt a strange sense of relief.

It ended quickly though.

"Thought you'd be halfway around the world by now." He said. It was true, had he been in her shoes, no friends, no family, no cash… on second thought he pretty much was in those exact same shoes, and he was still here.

Shilo twisted her mouth, eyes looking down. He knew it was a thoughtful face but to him it actually looked … sexy.

What the fuck was happening here?

He shouldn't be thinking that. She was only… what? Eighteen?

"After the opera," Shilo began, pulling Graverobber out of his internal calculations, "I came back here, I didn't have anywhere else to go really. Plus I needed someplace to go and detox."

Graverobber raised an eyebrow. That's right, the meds her dad had put her on. That must be why she grew so much in just ten months. Had he really been stunting her growth for seventeen years?

Shilo was still speaking. He had to pay better attention.

"It was really painful, almost two weeks of well, mostly passing out and puking." She laughed a little but Graverobber didn't think it sounded funny at all. She'd gone through that all by herself? "After a few weeks my hair started to grow and things got kind of… confusing."

Graverobber shifted uncomfortably.

Puberty was bad enough. Rapidly accelerated puberty without knowing anything about it and being completely alone? It sounded like hell.

"So how'd you figure it out? Hit up the library?" Graverobber didn't know how he managed to make a joke but it lightened the mood. He paced casually around the small room, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy.

Shilo smirked in response and fixed him with a pointed look.

"My dad _was_ a doctor. There's a medical journal for every condition known to man in his room." She said. Graverobber stopped pacing, a coldness appearing in his chest.

Her dad was a doctor.

He was also a Repo Man.

Probably the most twisted one in history.

"Are you thirsty?" Shilo suddenly said, she walked across the room and went through a doorway next to the stairs. Graverobber followed, what else could he do?

The kitchen was also very scarcely decorated. Just an average wooden table, a couple tall cabinets lining one wall, a counter, a sink, a fridge; had he been so wrong about how the other half lived? Or was this Shilo's doing?

She went into a cupboard and retrieved two glasses, filling them at the sink she set one in front of him. He hesitated before taking it.

Shilo sat. Graverobber sat.

Shilo sipped her water. Graverobber sipped, getting momentarily distracted at the way the water made her pink lips glisten.

He shook his head trying to knock the thoughts loose.

"So what else have you been up to?" He said leaning back. Shilo shrugged.

"I got a job."

Graverobber raised an eyebrow.

"Doing what, kid?"

"I wash dishes at Juicy Lynn's."

That had Graverobber sitting up a little straighter. Juicy Lynn's was a popular place on the club side of town. It was the kind of restaurant you went to when you needed something to eat before going to the club, and someone to take home after. The waitresses were famous for being sassy, skinny, and oh so dumb. For ten units you could take any one of them home and never have to hear from them the next day.

A real drive thru kind of place.

"Dishes huh?" He pressed.

Shilo smirked and Graverobber felt a tiny shudder go through him.

"Just dishes. After I got all … sorted out," She gestured to herself generally, "I tried to get out and find a real cool job. But I realized something."

Graverobber waited, watching her unzip her hoodie, revealing a dark red, lace trimmed tank. He gulped at the new view. When did she get breasts? He forced himself to look back at her eyes.

"Realized something?"

Shilo grinned, probably knowing exactly what he'd been looking at.

"Yeah," She said, "I realized, I don't like being around people."

Graverobber laughed out loud before he could stop himself. The girl who busted down walls just to get out into the world, finds out she doesn't like being around other people.

"Join the club, Sugar." He laughed.

Shilo rolled her eyes.

"I went in and asked for a job cooking or cleaning." She continued, "Lynn was real confused, I guess when girls apply they usually ask for something else."

"Usually." Graverobber agreed.

"Yeah well, jokes on them. I make three times as much doing dishes cause I show up, I work, and I'm not addicted to Z." She threw two thumbs up and smiled proudly. Graverobber couldn't help but grin back.

"Careful, that's my clientele you're talking about." He joked. Shilo stood, taking her empty glass to the sink.

"My apologies, oh great Zydrate King." She said with a mock curtsey to him. Graverobber momentarily felt calm, the easy conversation felt nice. Refreshing even. It had been a very long time since he felt like he had a friend.

Shilo removed her hoodie the rest of the way and draped it over the back of her chair.

No more calm.

Graverobber took in the sight of Shilo's new body. She'd developed breasts, and clearly defined hips. In just the leggings and tank top and ankle high boots, Graverobber could see every line, every curve. He could also see the straps of a simple black bra under her tank and his mind wandered.

Dangerous. Shilo was dangerous now.

Eighteen. Eighteen. He repeated the word over and over again in his mind. He wasn't much older than that but it was enough to make him think about his actions.

Oh and the actions he'd do…

Eighteen!

Shilo went over to the sink again, her back to him, she reached up and unclipped her hair, shaking out the curls and running her fingers through it.

Eighteen!

His eyes settled on her butt and his pants suddenly felt tight. He shifted in his seat.

Time to go.

He stood up and Shilo turned, her hair falling to just above her shoulders.

"You probably want me out of here." He said, unsure of why it sounded like a question. Shilo's brow furrowed and she cocked her head.

"Why?"

Graverobber faltered. _Why? _He thought, _Because I can't stop staring at your fucking tits. _

He cleared his throat.

"Just figured."

Shilo walked over and stood in front of him.

"Would you mind staying?" she said, her enormous eyes pleading up at him, "You're kind of my only friend." She was just inches from his face. Did she know how close she was?

Graverobber backed up a step.

"You think I'm your friend?" He asked. Every memory he had of her was like a knife in his gut. He'd been racked with guilt over the role he'd played and she'd been thinking of him as a friend this whole time?  
Shilo shrugged.

"You're the only person I don't hate."

Graverobber smirked.

"That is a friend." He stretched his shoulders out, the proximity making him feel confined. "Okay, what do you want to do?"

He could think of plenty of things he'd like to do. Plenty …

To his surprise, Shilo stepped back and wrinkled her nose.

"First, I kind of want you to take a bath." She said. Graverobber lowered his brow and Shilo snickered.

"I'm sorry, Graves," she said, "You just… stink."

Graverobber didn't know what surprised him. The fact that she'd used a nickname for him that he'd never heard before, or the fact that she was offended by his smell. He slept in a dumpster and spend every night in grime soaked alleys, around festering Z addicts, and lugging corpses through graveyards. What was he supposed to smell like? Roses?

"Come on." Shilo said, she turned and went out the kitchen door, heading up the stairs. Graverobber followed, mesmerized by her swaying hips.


	3. Chapter 3

Shilo led him upstairs and down a hallway. He took in the look of the walls. More fading wallpaper. Big, discolored squares lined them, some crooked; paintings he realized. There had been furniture in here, now it was empty. Save for a couple lamps, a narrow hall table and a mirror down at the end; the hallway was completely bare.

Shilo took a left and Graverobber followed her into a moderately sized bathroom. Also very scarcely furnished. He was beginning to get really confused.

"Hey kid, did you have an estate sale or something?" He joked. Shilo turned around; she'd been taking a towel out of a tall, cabinet. She folded it against her chest and awkwardly tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I didn't really…like all the stuff. It was just too much." She shrugged her shoulders, almost like she was suddenly cold. "I put it all in the basement."

Graverobber looked in her eyes and saw something there that made him understand. She didn't like all of the things that were left behind because they weren't hers; they were her father's. Memories of the life they'd had before. Memories of the mother she'd never known. She couldn't be around them anymore.

Graverobber shrugged off his fur-collared jacket and dropped it to the floor. More than willing to change the subject.

"Alright. I'll scrub. But you need to scram." He said, removing his scarves and other small accessories.

Shilo set the towel down on top of the toilet and looked him over.

"You should let me wash those." She said, eyeing his clothes.

Graverobber paused.

"And just what am I supposed to wear?" He gave her a hinting grin. Shilo's eyes flashed with something he didn't totally understand.

"I have some things. Just leave… those… out in the hall." She left quickly then. Graverobber smiled a little after the door closed. He wondered if she knew how cute she was. He pulled his shirt off and stepped out of his boots. Catching his reflection in the mirror he looked over his exposed chest and leather pants.

It wasn't fair to compare Shilo's body to his own. She was fresh, pure, and tight.

He was chiseled. Scarred. Tattooed. Used. Lean sure, but it wasn't anything compared to her.

He turned away from the mirror and stripped off the rest of his clothing.

Graverobber couldn't remember the last time he'd had a shower. A real shower. He reveled in the feeling of warm water running down his back. The lather of soap in his tangled hair. He watched the brown, tinted water circle the drain, washing away the grit and grime of the streets. He scrubbed his face and his hands came away with smears of white and blue. The makeup was a personal choice. It made his more recognizable on the streets. Most addicts' brains were fried beyond normal comprehension. He couldn't expect them to remember his plain face. He needed dazzle, edge, branding.

With just Shilo here it didn't seem necessary to reapply it. Who else would he be? One night without his trademark glitz wouldn't change anything.

He gave his body one final rinse before stepping out and wrapping the towel Shilo left around his waist. He caught his knew reflection in the mirror and surprisingly didn't feel the need to turn away immediately.

He hadn't been clean, really clean, in a long while.

It was interesting.

He scanned the bathroom but there were no clothes there. He opened the door and checked where his pile of street clothes had been; nothing.

He scanned up and down the hallway. No sign of Shilo.

"Kid?!" he called.

"Door on the left!" he heard from downstairs. Graverobber tentatively stepped out of the bathroom, steam drifting over his head. Next to him was a bedroom. It was relatively small, with a big fireplace, a big bed, a big set of windows, and hardly anything else. The bed had plain white sheets on it. There was a bare alcove in the corner with a dresser shoved in it. It had to have been Shilo's room at some point because the wallpaper had clearly been pink. Someone had tried to peel most of it off but thin strips of it still clung to the wall. The bed was only a bed, it lacked a frame or a headboard but Graverobber had to assume it didn't always look like that. Lying on the bed was a dark purple, button up shirt, and a pair of sturdy black jeans. He put them on, relieved that they fit well. His boots were also sitting on the floor; most of the mud was off them and the laces looked much cleaner. He yanked them on and surveyed the room.

It surprised him once again how scarce everything was. But it made sense. Shilo's life had been chaos, pain, and an absolute cluster of shit.

He imagined it must have felt good when she cleared out her past. He bet Shilo felt much more peaceful standing in these empty rooms. Like she could breathe in and the air wouldn't be tainted with all the pain of what she'd been through.

His guilt returned then.

Why hadn't he come and found her?

Why had he sulked in a dumpster for ten months, torturing himself with the idea that he'd hurt her when he could have helped her?

He'd been stupid. He had to make it up to her.

There was a knock on the door, he turned and Shilo's face appeared.

"Hey, I wanted to … whoa." She said, her expression changing to one of surprise. She opened the door the rest of the way and Graverobber felt his jaw go slack. She'd changed her clothes too. She was dressed in a plain, red night shirt with thin straps that just covered everything but didn't leave much to the imagination.

"You look… good Graves." Shilo smirked. He looked good?

_He _looked good?!

She was breathtaking! She looked like a fucking angel! And he looked like…what?

Graverobber's eyes scanned the room and found a tall mirror in the corner. He didn't look bad. The shirt draped on his trim frame nicely and his damp hair was beginning to twist in on itself like it normally did.

But seeing Shilo standing there, leaning on the doorframe, one strap slipping down her shoulder to reveal the tiniest hint of the black bra underneath; Graverobber gulped down his yearning.

"Can I talk to you?" She asked. His eyes went from her legs, to her hips, to her chest, to her neck, to her eyes before he gave a quick nod. Shilo walked in and crawled up on the bed, sitting cross-legged. Graverobber's knees felt shaky. She waited for him to sit down across from her. He tried to get comfortable and ignore the tight feeling in his groin.

"What's this about?" He says. Willing his gaze to meet hers and not linger below the hem of her nightshirt.

Shilo's eyes looked down as she picked at her fingernails.

"I don't want to mess this up or anything. I just… I wanted to ask…" He waited while she found the words. She took a shaky breath and locked eyes with him. Her voice clear and sharp.

"What does sex feel like?"


	4. Chapter 4

***LEMON!***

Graverobber's mouth felt extremely dry.

Had she just said that?

What did she mean?

What game was she playing?

What did she want him to do?

Oh the things he'd do…

His eyes drifted to the shadowed section in between her legs, just hidden by that tiny nightshirt. Her pale skin was like marble, unscathed save for that mysterious scar on her chin. She looked at him with her big innocent eyes, waiting for an answer.

"I…" He started, but couldn't bring himself to say the thought that came to mind which was _I'd be glad to show you._ "What do you mean?" He said instead.

Shilo's shoulders shrugged and fell. Watching it brought a small touch of heat Graverobber's palms. Shilo went back to looking at her fingernails. Her voice was barely a whisper.

"It's not like I haven't done … things. … By myself." Graverobber's erection was not fully attentive. He couldn't tell if she could notice it but he prayed she didn't.

Shilo continued talking.

"I've just never been with anyone… like that. I wanted to know what it's like." She chanced a look back up at him but Graverobber was turned away to hide his … new development.

"I'm sorry." Shilo said. Graverobber felt guilt seep into his chest. He wanted to help her but with this? How could he? He certainly knew how but…

No, she couldn't want that. Not him.

The room suddenly became dimmer, and he heard soft footsteps by the window. Shilo drew the curtains shut. She returned to the bed, this time just sitting on the edge opposite him.

"You don't have to be sorry." He managed to say. He felt the bed move as Shilo curled herself up.

"You can sleep in my dad's old room. It's across the stairs." Her voice sounded faint, broken. Like it had been when she was singing in the graveyard. When she'd been singing about him. The guilt twisted deeper into Graverobber's chest. He was such an asshole.

"You can't explain it in words." He finally said. The bed shifted again, Shilo moving.

"You can't?" She pressed. He was in physical pain trying to fight the urge to spin around and pin her to the bed. His nails dug into the mattress, holding his place.

"No." Was all he could force out, biting his lip.

The bed shifted yet again and he could feel Shilo's body close to his. The warmth she radiated called to him but he fought it. She sat beside him, sitting up on her knees; she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Graverobber's skin practically melted at the sensation. It travelled across his back and rested on the opposite side, Shilo's chest now pressed against his shoulder and he could feel every breath she took. Her other hand came up to tug softly at his collar. Her voice was soft at his ear.

"Will you show me?" She whispered, Graverobber's desire pulsed through him, he felt a moan in his throat that he refused to let out. His hands shook with the effort. Shilo's hand moved from his collar and slowly trailed down his torso to the tension in his lap. He let out a gasp despite himself, as her gentle fingers brushed against his zipper.

"Please," She whispered, "Please Graves, will you show me?"

That was it. He broke.

Graverobber turned his head and caught her lips in a kiss more intense than anything he'd ever experienced. Her arms circled his neck as he pulled her back onto the bed, her body fitting easily under his. He ran his hand up her thigh as he kissed her, relishing in the silky feel of her skin. When he got to the hem of her nightshirt he halted, unsure about going forward, but Shilo crushed his lips against hers and bent her legs, giving him complete access. He gasped into her mouth when he felt her heat against his aching member through his jeans.

Shilo had unbuttoned his shirt and her soft, warm hands were traveling up and down his back. He pulled her nightshirt up and over her head, tossing it aside, he took a moment to stare at the woman that lay before him.

His whole life, the only women he'd ever known were promiscuous, plastic, addicts. There was nothing to them but implants and staples. But seeing Shilo, laying beneath him, dark hair splayed out behind her head, in nothing but her black bra and panties.

What had he done to deserve something so flawless?

He had no time to think it over because Shilo was already pulling him back to her for another kiss. Her hands quickly tore his shirt from his shoulders.

Graverobber snaked a hand beneath her and unclasped the teasing black bra, slipping it off her easily. With her perfect, round breasts now exposed, Graverobber wasted no time moving his mouth down to circle one pointed, pink nipple. Shilo moaned beneath him and he felt a shudder go down his spine. He brought his free hand to her other breast and teased it gently, loving the way she writhed beneath him.

His erection ached in his pants but he ignored it, the only way he could hold his dignity was if he refused to pleasure himself. Only Shilo. And pleasuring Shilo turned out to be more than enough for him at the moment.

She moaned deliciously as his hands caressed her and Graverobber let his mouth return to hers for a deep kiss. Shilo gasped against him when he slipped his tongue between her lips, followed by a deep sound of enjoyment.

His hand moved along her hip, taking his time before he arrived at the place he so desperately wanted to touch.

Pushing aside her panties he let out a growl when he felt how ready she was. His finger slipped inside her easily and Shilo clenched around him. His thumb found her clit and massaged it gently. Shilo squirmed, soft moans of pleasure falling from her lips like rain. He slipped another finger inside and moved them faster, causing Shilo to buck beneath him. She arched her back and he knew she had to be close, so close.

He could feel himself building, without any help at all, Graverobber knew he was going to cum whether he aught to or not.

Shilo's body tensed and she clung to him, nails digging into his back, she cried out and a guttural growl erupted from Graverobber as he felt himself tip over the edge with her.

White spots blurred his image and he was positive he would pass out from the impact.

Shilo's body went slack beneath him and he collapsed along side her, both of them panting. Shilo pulled the white bed sheet up over them and Graverobber once again doubted if he did the right thing.

It felt so right to him.

But he was selfish, and definitely unworthy.

Shilo curled herself up in the sheets and whispered to him,

"Thank you."

Before rolling over and falling asleep.

Graverobber lay there, staring at the ceiling.

What was he going to do?


	5. Chapter 5

Graverobber slept like he was dead.

Flat. Motionless, sleep.

Part of it was because he'd never cum so hard in his life, but most of it was because if he thought too much about what he'd done, the shock would keep him up for days.

He tried reasoning to himself. She'd wanted to, she'd asked for it, she'd thanked him!

Why did he feel so guilty?

Because she still seemed like a kid.

Shilo didn't know anything about sex or men, she didn't know what it was supposed to mean.

What was it supposed to mean?

Graverobber was positive he'd never been in love. But he'd definitely had sex.

Raw, undignified, sometimes painful sex; because that's what he deserved.

Graverobber lay in the bed, eyes wide at the revelation. He didn't deserve Shilo. That's why he felt so guilty.

Turning over, he realized he was alone in the bed. He sat up, scanning the empty room. His own clothes were folded and sitting on the end of the bed. He quickly changed into them, taking a moment to admire the fresh scent. His jacket must be downstairs. He poked his head out the door, no Shilo.

He checked the bathroom, no Shilo.

He walked down the stairs, pausing when he heard sounds coming from the kitchen. She was here. His breathing sped up. Should he run?

But his jacket, his bag; _quit being a pussy, _he told himself.

Coming into the kitchen, Graverobber wasn't sure what he should do. Shilo stood next to the stove, eggs sizzling in front of her while she buttered a piece of toast. Graverobber's stomach grumbled at the delicious smell. Fortunately it couldn't be heard over the soft music coming from a battered old radio. Shilo hummed along, she seemed…happy.

She was wearing a pair of black short shorts, with thigh high black stockings and a grey tee shirt covered in stains. Graverobber cleared his throat, Shilo spun around, a smile appearing on her face.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey," He responded, "Uh, coat? Bag?"

"Den." She clarified, "Here, eat this. I'll get them."

She slid a fried egg on top of a piece of toast and set the plate down for him. Graverobber stared after her before attacking the food like a wild animal. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had hot food. It burned his tongue but in the best way. Shilo returned a moment later catching him with half a piece of toast in his mouth and yolks dripping down his chin. She chuckled, setting his things on the table.

"Do you want another?" She asked, handing him a napkin. He eyed the egg still on the stove. "I already ate." Shilo insisted, grabbing his plate. He took the second helping gratefully.

"Thanks kid." He grinned. She busied herself cleaning the dishes. "Trying out a new look?" He asked, glancing at her ratty tee shirt. Shilo smirked at him over her shoulder, making his chest feel tight.

"I have to wear it at work otherwise all my clothes would look like this." She examined the multicolored stains speckled all over it.

Graverobber nodded. He'd never felt more awkward. Clearing his throat again, he dared to say what was on his mind.

"We should talk about last night." He said. Shilo's movements at the sink slowed. What was she thinking? Shame? Regret? Disgust?

Graverobber winced, ready for the slew of insults he knew was coming.

"I'm so sorry." Is what Shilo said instead.

He felt like he'd been punched in the chest.

"What?" He choked out. Shilo hunched herself over the sink.

"I cornered you, you didn't want to, but I made you." She ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine how I compare to all those girls you must know downtown. Terrible probably."

Graverobber was stunned, completely immobilized. She was… guilty? How? He had to say something, what could he say?

"I'm sorry I made you do that. I just…wanted you so much, I… it's no excuse." She clutched the edge of the sink, her knuckles white. Graverobber willed himself to go to her and speak.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, feeling how tense she was.

"You should not be sorry." He said softly, Shilo's trembling froze as his breath brushed the back of her head.

"But…" she started; he spoke quickly.

"I've known lots of women, and there is nothing to compare. Shilo, you put them all to shame." The truth of his words swelled in his chest.

Shilo turned to face him; her eyes glittered with tears, their chests an inch apart. He didn't know if it was the fact that he'd said her name, or if it was what he said that made her cheeks flush.

"So, you don't hate me?" She asked. Her eyes hopeful, like two giant bowls of melted chocolate.

Hate her? Hate?! How could he hate her? He… He what?

"Kid," He said, wiping away a stray tear, "You are the only person I don't hate."

She beamed up at him and the sight brought an airy feeling into Graverobber's chest. She crushed him in a hug before flitting away to gather her things.

He shrugged on his coat, taking a quick moment to redo his trademark makeup.

Shilo came back in, smirking at the image of him and his tiny compact mirror and eye pencil.

"Choose your words carefully." He cautioned. Shilo bit her bottom lip, stifling a laugh. Instead she walked over and sat herself up on the table in front of him, her hands fingering his array of cosmetics. Graverobber's eyes drifted up her legs, peeking beneath her shorts he remembered how she'd looked last night. Spread out beneath him, warm and inviting. He felt the head spread across his lap.

"Can I try this?" She asked, holding up his tube of black lip stick. Graverobber nodded dumbly, handing her the battered compact mirror. Shilo took it and expertly lined her lips with the black goop. He watched her mouth work, as it opened and closed and rolled. When she was finished, Shilo looked at him.

"What do you think?"

The dark lips made her ivory skin look even paler, and it matched her hair to the point that her face might as well be a black and white photo.

"I don't think it's your color, Sugar." He admitted, taking the tube from her. Shilo chuckled, sticking out her tongue before swooping down and kissing his exposed neck. It left a black swatch of lips on his skin. Graverobber was taken aback by the playful show of affection. Shilo hopped off the table and went out to the foyer.

Graverobber gathered up his stuff and followed, choosing not to wipe off the kiss.

Shilo was sitting on the stairs, tying the laces of her chunky black boots. She stoo and pulled on a tailored, grey peacoat, buttoning it up to her chest. Graverobber watched her, so simple and pure. What could she possibly want from him?

"So, I'll see you later." Shilo said. And then she was gone.

Out the door.

Leaving Graverobber to ponder over her vague farewell.


	6. Chapter 6

He glared at the gritty brick wall across from him, waiting for his usual clients to trickle out of the clubs. The heavy music still radiated through the damp alley.

What was 'later'?

What did she mean?

Could she have meant that he should come back later that night? Or later that week?

He ran his fingers into his gnarls of hair and pushed the thought from his mind.

He couldn't be distracted about Shilo right now; he was working. He needed to appear charming, regal. He was the Zydrate King after all.

A few stumbling women came out the door; both of them drunk and laughing. Graverobber took in their purposely-shredded clothing and ridiculously pointed heels. What were they trying to achieve in such wild clothing?

One of the women noticed him leaning against the wall.

"Oh hey," She said, looking to her friend, "You need a fix? I'll buy."

He grimaced. Graverobber hated it when people treated him like a vending machine. He was a person, he had rules. The women walked over to him.

"eight units." He says to them. The first woman, who he could now see had purple and green hair along with yellow eyes, takes a step back in surprise.

"Eight? It was four a couple days ago." She bats her false lashes up at him.

"A couple of days ago, you said hello and asked nicely. There's a discount for being polite." He shrugs his shoulders uncaringly. Really he just felt like charging them more because they seemed too drunk to notice.

"I can be polite." Her friend slurred in what he assumed was meant to be a seductive tone. Her head was half shaved and half bright pink and she had enough piercings to be labeled a pin-cushion. Graverobber fixed her with a hard look.

"Eight units." He said again. The women both huffed prudishly.

Suddenly, spending money was enough to sober them up and make them remember they had brains.

"Come on, Bev," The first girl says, "Lets just go grab a bite at Lynn's." She gave Graverobber a sneer before helping her friend stumble down the cobbled stones, their ankles wobbling like the bones were replaced with rubber.

Graverobber watched them, he glanced at the door to the club, heavy music still shaking its hinges. He could stand his ground, sell the rest of his stock, make fifty units and crawl into his dumpster before dawn.

But he doesn't.

Instead he follows the drunk slags down the alley. Slinking through the shadows like a cat, he made it all the way to the curb across from Juicy Lynn's. The blinding pink neon painting the street in a rosy hue.

Tons of people were funneling out the door, the three AM social shift.

Graverobber waited until the crowd had thinned, even making a few sales in the process. When only a few people lingered at the door, He seized the chance to move in.

He had to be careful where he let himself be seen. People knew him, and other people hunted him. One word on the wind could land him in the hands of a horde of GeneCops.

But the diners were harmless.

Half of them were drunk, the other half couldn't afford to get busted any more than him. He made his way to a seat at the counter in front of the big, kitchen doors. Every single thing in the restaurant was broken, rusted, or chipped.

Including the staff.

Half naked women, with scars snaking across their skin, hustled around with notepads. One woman, with ridiculously large, green eyelashes and a pixie cut, red hairdo catches his eye. She smirks, probably mistaking his assessment of her appearance for flirting. She saunters over and Graverobber curses his rotten luck.

"Hey G, don't usually see you in the light, you look good." She winks an enormous, green lash at him. Graverobber squints, he'd probably shot her up before, but every woman looked the same to him.

"Came here to see a friend." He says, lowering his eyes.

"I can be a friend." She leaned across the counter, attempting to give him a clear view. He instead locks eyes with her.

"My friend washes dishes here." He says pointedly.

The waitress straightens up, scoffing, irritated. She turns and opens the kitchen door a crack.

"Nat! Get your scrawny ass out here!" She hollers.

Graverobber raised an eyebrow, maybe more than one girl worked in the kitchen.

"What do you want?" Shilo's voice boomed through the door.

"Visitor." The waitress sneered, letting the door close.

A few seconds later, Shilo comes through the door, seeing him right away.

Her hair was pulled back, stray curls stuck to her forehead and neck, which were soaked with sweat. Her grey tee-shirt had fresh stains across her chest and she had a long, black apron on. She grins at him and Graverobber smiles back without even thinking.

"Fancy seeing you here." She jokes.

"Don't believe we've met, your name is Nat?" He winks at her. Shilo leans in closer.

"Wallace is a well-known name around here. Remember, I was kind of famous once."

Graverobber chuckles.

"So Nat, like the bug?" He asks, Shilo blushes.

"No, more like Nathan." She says softly. His smile disappears. Graverobber looks into her eyes; so deep, so real.

"Hey Nat! is your friend gonna order something?" The waitress leans on the other end of the counter, another girl flanking her. They snicker as Shilo glares back at them.

"How about you shut the fuck up Aldee? I'm talking." She says, cocking her hip.

Graverobber's jaw dropped, he'd never heard Shilo curse, or shout, or even look intimidating. With her tiny frame and doe eyes, who would be threatened by that?

But standing as she was now, toe to toe with the scarred and scathing waitress, she looked fiercely predatorial. Aldee looked at her and strut closer.

"Probably just getting your nightly fix, huh Porcelain?" She seethed in Shilo's face. There was no flinch.

"Wanna play Show and Tell again?" Shilo holds up her fists, baring her forearms, clean and flawless. Aldee crossed hers, obviously hiding her many scars and tender bruises.

"You and your boy toy get in back with the rest of the dirty dishes." Was all she said in reply. Shilo gave her a sharp nod before gesturing for Graverobber to follow her to the kitchen.

He said nothing but made a mental note that this particular Z-addict would never get a drop of his stuff again.

The kitchen was a death trap, Graverobber gawked at the greasy dishes stacked up to the ceiling. They teetered next to a giant rusty fridge and an enormous oven that spewed black smoke into a giant hood-fan above them. His eyes settled on Shilo as she moved over to the long steel, sink that lined the far wall. A giant hose hung above her head and Graverobber snickered as he watched her climb up on a tiny stepstool so she could reach.

"What are you laughing at?" She called over to him. He tried to cover the sound with a cough as he leaned against a nearby counter.

"Nothing at all." He said with his slyest grin. Shilo rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the industrial sized dishwasher. The steam clung to her hair and beaded on her neck, Graverobber swallowed hard remembering how she'd looked sprawled out beneath him.

"So seriously," Shilo started, yanking him out of his memory, "Why are you here?"

Graverobber shrugged, making an effort to be casual.

"You said you'd see me later." He winked at her, "It's later."

Shilo let out a short laugh, but Graverobber could see the faint pink blush start in her cheeks before she turned to hide her face.

"Will I see you later… at my house?" She said, barely a whisper. Graverobber's mouth felt dry.

He crossed the space between them and leaned in, placing a soft hand on Shilo's shoulder.

"What time are you done?" He asked.

"Six." She breathed, leaning into his touch.

"I'll be there." He said, quickly kissing the back of her neck before darting out the kitchen doors.

The bitch waitress may have called something to him, but Graverobber couldn't hear.

In a few hours Shilo would be coming home, and he'd be there waiting for her.


	7. Chapter 7

Graverobber walked quickly, ducking through shortcuts, trying to save time. He'd get there early, maybe shower again. He'd want to smell nice, for her sake. Even having showered the night before, he could feel the grit from the city starting to stick to his skin. He'd be there when she got home, he'd let her get cleaned up from work, listen to her stories, ease her into the bed, hold her, and when she was ready…

A halting thought stopped Graverobber in his tracks. He was forgetting something. Something he would probably need, and something he knew Shilo wouldn't have.

He patted his pockets, hoping to find one just by luck.

But he came up empty.

Cursing under his breath, Graverobber turned and headed down a side street towards a neon sign that read "One Stop Pharmaceutical". The 'P' on the sign was burnt out, making it read "harmaceutical". The truth of it made Graverobber crack a small smile. He pushed through the glass door, that was plastered with flyers for every drug released in the last twenty years. Inside, the tiny shop was lined wall to wall with bottles and boxes and jars, each one proudly bearing their well known GeneCo labels. Graverobber moved to the back corner, where the product he needed was stocked.

He decided on basic ones, Shilo wouldn't need any frills or fun shapes or flavors; not for her first time. Most of the Zaddicts he'd hooked up with in the past didn't even need these; they took pills upon pills to staunch what their bodies did naturally.

But Shilo wouldn't do anything like that. It was better if he came prepared.

Graverobber moved over to where the cashier sat on a stool, with a beat up scanner mounted to the wall beside him. He sucked at his filth-caked nails, making disgusting noises that Graverobber imagined he'd hear in some dense swamp.

Handing him the condoms, Graverobber quickly scanned through the units and waited for the cashier to put his purchases in a red, paper bag.

When he looked up to hand them over, Graverobber saw recognition flicker on his face.

"You're girl just blew through here." He said.

Graverobber blinked. He didn't have a girl. I mean, Shilo maybe...Shilo was at work.

"My girl?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow. The Cashier sneered.

"Had her two leather-wrapped goons in here, manhandling all my merchandise. Said they were looking for stolen merchandise, but everybody knows she's been tracking Z these past few months."

Graverobber's back went rigid. He was talking about Amber Sweet and her "Clean Up The Streets" Initiative.

Since She took over GeneCo, Amber had all the Zydrate she needed, no questions asked. But She was still having withdrawals, just a different kind.

Graverobber had been dodging her as much as he could, but sometimes she cornered him. Usually the only way out was to fuck her. If he refused, the other option was to get the living shit beat out of him by her two 'roid-packed bodyguards.

Each one was it's own form of self-loathing humiliation.

Not tonight, Graverobber thought to himself, she wasn't going to get him tonight.

He grabbed the bag from the cashier and took off down the direction he'd come, hugging the wall like it had just bought him dinner.

The cashier hadn't said which way Amber had gone, whether she was scoping out alleys or hitting the clubs; either way, he was on the wrong end of town.

If he got past the next block, towards the river, he could follow that all the way to Shilo's house. It'd be dark, and there were no connecting streets past the bridge.

Just a couple of blocks.

He crossed behind two bars and a pool hall, stopping to rest at an abandoned apartment complex. If he craned his neck, he could see the top of the bridge.

A crash sounded from somewhere behind him and he ducked behind a junked refrigerator.

Two female voices carried over.

"I told you, I got it from someone else." A sobbing voice pleaded.

"Listen up Babydoll, you're surfing the glow all over, I can see it. Now tell me which way he went, or I'll crack that pretty smile of yours in half." Amber Sweet's nasal hiss cut through the damp, night air. Graverobber covered his mouth to stifle the cursing.

"It wasn't G. It was some chick named Keyta I swear!" The girl sounded desperate, like Sweet had been riding her about this a while.

"Bullshit! If he's not selling, then he's hiding. Someone's gotta know where he is." Amber screeched. Graverobber heard a clatter, like she'd kicked something across the cobblestones.

"I don't know! I'd tell you if I did. Please let me go!" the girl begged. It got quiet. Uncomfortable quiet. Graverobber had to strain his ears to catch Amber's words.

"Fine sugar, I believe you don't know where he is." Her voice was dripping with arrogance, "But, you're still using unlicensed Zydrate in my city, and that's against the rules."

Graverobber could hear the girl becoming more panicked, her sobs echoing off the walls.

"Let's get her to a GeneClean house." Amber said to her goons. The girl's wails tore through the alley like gunfire. Her screams of protest stretching out into the city where no one was coming to help her.

GeneClean houses were another of Amber's wonderful initiatives. Places where people could go to get healthy and break their addictions.

Good in theory. What they turned out to be were buildings where patients were chained to the beds like animals and given only a saline drip for five days straight until every unnatural additive was out of their system.

Supposedly injuries and mental breakdowns were common and solved by extending treatment to "physical therapy". Meaning they were drilled in basic exercises for hours on end, sometimes till their bones broke.

When people got out, they were never the same.

Graverobber thought of the way the girl had sounded; desperate, sad, young. She didn't deserve to suffer for five days, maybe more.

He thought about it while he scurried along the riverside, the poor girl and Amber's twisted obsession with him. Graverobber had to shake her, eventually. She was full of hate. And if a random Zaddict got thrown in the GeneClean just on the possibility that she was lying, what would Amber do if she found out about Graverobber and Shilo?

Graverobber didn't want to think about it.

He wanted to be with Shilo, needed to.

But no one could know. If word got back to Amber, she'd go ballistic. She'd bomb the whole city just to make sure He was dead.

He had to protect Shilo.

If he wanted to keep her, he'd have to keep her secret.


	8. Chapter 8

Graverobber heaved himself through the fireplace door. He was sweating and coated in at least an inch of salty, river, sludge. He'd run faster than he ever had in his life. He was desperate to get to the house before Shilo.

He looked down at his outdated wrist-cuff. 5:32

Shilo got done with work at six. He'd made it, he still had time. He took off his coat and bag, draping them on the railing at the end of the stairs. His coat dripped brownish-red water onto the worn floorboards. He hoped Shilo wouldn't mind what a terrible house guest he was.

When he bent down to untie his slippery laces, Graverobber felt a pang of grief.

Shilo had just cleaned them.

He took off his socks too, not wanting to mark up any more of the floor.

Quickly, he padded up to the bathroom and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He wasn't too filthy but even still, he scrubbed himself raw under the hot shower for a few minutes.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he checked the time. 5:47

Was Shilo leaving work at six or would she be home at six?

Why hadn't she specified!?

He reached for his pants but they were still wet and stank of the river. Graverobber looked desperately around the bathroom, seeing nothing but porcelain fixtures and soft white towels.

He needed pants!

5:48

Shilo had given him her dad's clothes before. Where was his room?

Across the stairs?

Graverobber pulled on his shirt and peeked into the hallway before running bare-assed across the whole damn second floor.

There were three doors there.

One led to a laundry room, there was a hamper filled with lacy, delicate looking fabric and Graverobber safely assumed he'd find no pants in there. The second door he tried opened into a bedroom similar to Shilo's but very different.

It wasn't stripped bare like hers, but clean and comfortably cluttered. Stacks of journals rose up from nightstands, the fireplace, and the dresser. Vials were neatly arranged by size on a narrow desk. And on the walls hung skillfully drawn maps of every major organ in the human body.

Graverobber didn't feel right intruding. It felt like he was walking in on someone's painful memories. Not just Shilo's either.

He was standing in Nathan Wallace's bedroom. The fucking RepoMan's bedroom!

And he wasn't even wearing pants!

Pushing aside his anxiety, Graverobber moved to the dresser and managed to find a pair of dark jeans. They didn't feel like they'd ever been worn. He pulled them on quickly, relieved that they were only a little loose but otherwise a fine fit.

As he turned to leave, his eye caught the portrait mounted above the fireplace. It was their wedding photo. Nathan Wallace and his wife, Shilo's mother. Their ghostly figures hovering in a permanent state of joy. Shilo really did look just like her mother, having inherited the woman's dark features. But looking at her father, Graverobber saw something there, an intensity. His eyes held a passion that Graverobber couldn't relate to, but recognized it immediately as something he'd noticed in Shilo on more than one occasion.

Yes, she got her father's spirit in her. Smart, stubborn, passionate; hurt.

He wondered if Shilo knew that.

His gaze drifted to an old fashioned clock that hung on the wall. 6:01

He hustled out of the bedroom and flew across the stairs to gather his messy clothes from the floor. He continued to Shilo's room where he stuffed his soiled items under her bed, remembering to extract the condoms from his pocket and stash them in a drawer in the nightstand.

He straightened up the sheets, they'd still been wrinkled from the night before. He closed the curtains, painting the room in a soft pink haze. And then, he waited.

6:10

6:12

6:15

Was she okay? Did something happen to her? He should have waited to walk her home.

6:17

What if she ran into Amber, what if that plastic bitch already has her strapped to a saline drip under some random name!

6:18

The downstairs door opens and shuts. Graverobber freezes, standing beside the bedroom door so he can hear. She didn't say anything, but he heard her climb the stairs, stopping somewhere, then going into the bathroom. A few moments later the water came on.

Graverobber relaxed onto the bed, letting his head rest on the pillow. He hadn't felt truly comfortable in years. Sleeping in a dumpster wasn't exactly ideal, but it was necessary. It kept him hidden and untraceable. But here he could relax, and Shilo would come in and find him calm.

He listened to the hiss of the shower, sometimes catching small sounds of Shilo singing to herself. He couldn't hear any of the words, but he was pretty sure it was an old Blind Mag song.

When the water shut off he could hear her moving in the bathroom still. Cabinets opening and closing, the swish of the shower curtain, the squeak of her hand on the mirror. Graverobber closed his eyes. He liked this, the feeling of not being alone. He could live this way, not alone. He could come home every night and have someone there to know he'd lived another day.

Did he want that someone to be Shilo?

Graverobber had never thought about that before. He didn't have friends, there were a few people he knew first names for but it never went deeper than that.

Shilo was his only friend.

If you could call her a friend, his plans for the evening weren't exactly hair-braiding and pillow fights, but they treated each other as friends didn't they?

Graverobber was pretty sure normal people didn't think of their friends naked as much as he did.

The door squeaked and Graverobber sat up on his elbows.

Shilo stood in the doorway. Graverobber's eyebrows shot up.

She was wearing a pale, pink, lacey nightshirt. Graverobber recognized the fabric from when he'd been in the laundry room earlier. It hung a few inches above her knees and was just see through enough for him to see she did not have a bra on.

Shilo waited as he looked at her, smiling shyly and rubbing her arm. Her hair hung in damp, kinky, curls that framed her face perfectly as she grinned at him.

"Hi there." He managed to say without his voice breaking. Shilo seemed to exhale as she came away from the door and crawled onto the bed.

Graverobber adjusted himself to be laying down while Shilo curled up under his arm, pressing her body against him. She was warm, and smelled like flowery soap.

"I'm not used to coming home to someone waiting." Shilo whispered. Graverobber could feel her fingers absently playing with his shirt.

"I'm not used to waiting for someone to come home." He replied, making sure to brush his hand against her bare shoulder. Shilo snuggled closer.

"Were you worried about me Graves?" She teased him. Graverobber hesitated, he had been worried. He had a reason to be, but Shilo didn't need to hear that.

"You're a tough kid. You can handle yourself." Was what he said instead. His fingers combed through some strands of her damp hair. Shilo breathed deeply.

"You know you're the only one who's ever thought that of me?" She said. Graverobber's hand froze.

"What do you mean?" He asked. He didn't want Shilo thinking too seriously about what he said, especially since it was half a lie.

Shilo sat up and looked down at him, smiling warmly. A little hint of unease twisted in his gut.

"You remember when you helped me get home that night? When you told me about Mag's eyes?" She asked him, the night he'd found her in Pavi Largo's tent when he lifted a zydrate gun. He nodded. "You didn't treat me like a little kid then. I told you I needed to get home, and you said '...this way'" Shilo made a big gesture with her hand, attempting to mimic Graverobber's grand persona. He rolled his eyes. Shilo giggled before she went on with her story. "You didn't hide anything from me, or lie because you needed to shelter me, or keep me a secret…" The nausea in Graverobber's stomach churned, "...and you got me home just like you said. You didn't lie, you didn't need to say anything." Shilo lay back down and curled into him. "I never got to thank you for that."

Graverobber could feel himself starting to sweat. He was lying to her. He'd been worried sick the entire night over her. He was determined to hide her from Amber. He never planned on telling her any of this. He was trying to protect her.

He sounded like her father.

"These aren't your pants." Shilo said, running her hand down his thigh. Graverobber shuddered at her touch.

"No I...borrowed them." He said softly. "From your father's room." Shilo's hand stopped moving and rested just alongside his leg.

"They fit good." She said. Graverobber held his breath. Not sure if he should apologize. "I don't go in there that much if I can help it. It didn't feel right...getting rid of his things."

"You're not mad at him?" Graverobber asked. It was a question he'd been eager to ask her but it never felt okay. Shilo shook her head.

"He wanted to protect me. Wanted me to be happy. I'm sure if the world wasn't so terrible, he'd have let me go out into it." She whispered into the crook of his arm. "It's strange but, since he's been gone, I understand more why he did it. But at least now I know everything. I'd rather know the truth than have it be like before."

Graverobber's stomach lurched and he sat upright. Shilo sat up quickly beside him, her big eyes worried. Graverobber ran his hands through his hair.

"I have to tell you something." He said, staring at his clenched fists.

Shilo curled her knees to her chest and waited, her brow furrowed in concern.

Graverobber didn't know what to say first. He went with the obvious choice.

"Amber Sweet is hounding people all over town looking for me." He said, chancing a look over to Shilo, her head was cocked to the side, unsure what this information meant. "She wants me dead, I've been hiding from her for months but now it's … difficult." Shilo blinked slowly.

"Why?" She asked. Graverobber sighed.

"Because of you kid." He said. "If she finds out how I feel about you, she could come after you and not let you go until she gets to me."

Shilo inched closer to him.

"How do you feel about me Graves?" She breathed. Graverobber gripped his hair in his fists before turning to stare into her eyes.

Graverobber didn't speak his emotions out loud. He made his living on lies and drugs, feelings had nothing to do with it. Having Shilo ask him what he wasn't even sure about made it that much harder to say. So he looked at her and said what felt the most true.

"Everything." He said, "I feel everything, kid."

Shilo stared at him for a moment, then brought her hands up to circle around his shoulders. She brought a leg up and sat on his lap, her enormous eyes inches from his. Graverobber didn't know what was going to happen, but the warmth of her body on his lap was enough to drive him wild, her hands resting on his shoulders made him want to pull her closer. But he bit his tongue and waited.

Shilo smiled at him, and kissed him.

Her kiss was forceful, powerful, Graverobber had to stop himself from falling backwards by gripping her hips. Shilo's tongue moved against his bottom lip and Graverobber was helpless against it. She kissed him like she knew exactly what he needed, like she'd kissed him a million times before.

And it felt amazing.

His pants were uncomfortably tight, he needed to get out of them. They both needed to get out of their clothes.

Graverobber ran his hands up Shilo's thighs and felt her thin panties. He dared to move his hands higher and grazed the size of her bare breasts. He wanted to pull the nightshirt from her shoulders, but at that moment, Shilo pulled back.

Graverobber stared up at her, his hands still outstretched but now empty. She smiled, cupping his cheek with her hand.

"Why don't we just go beat up Amber Sweet?" She said.


	9. Chapter 9

Graverobber stared at her, his lips still slightly parted from their embrace. He thought he heard her wrong, or imagined it, or maybe he said it.

Because he'd love to kick her plastic ass clear across the city but he could never get close enough. Not with her Bondage Boys behind her.

"Did you...What?" He said, shaking his head.

Shilo shrugged her thin shoulders, a lopsided grin giving her face a twisted new beauty.

"Let's find her and kick the crap out of her. Tell her to back off." She said it like it was the normal thing to do. As if it wasn't supposed to shock him down to his core.

"Do you even know what you're saying?" Graverobber emphasized, he ran his palms down the side of his face. He felt like he was in a dream, and any second the walls would break away and he'd float up into space. "Amber sweet owns the city. She runs this shit." He whirled his arms around his head, probably looking like a deranged gorilla. "It's her world kid, we're just miserable in it."

Shilo chuckled and moved off his waist. She stood at the edge of the bed, holding out her hand.

"I refuse to be miserable, Graves." She said smiling. He took her hand, letting her pull him off the bed. "Follow me." She instructed, not giving him back his hand.

Shilo dragged him out into the hall and down the stairs, stopping just so he could shove his feet in his still soaking boots and grab his coat and bag. When Graverobber looked up, he saw Shilo pushing the fireplace door aside. She took his hand again, but instead of taking the underground tunnel that led out to the graveyard, Shilo led him down a narrow flight of stone steps. Graverobber's palms started to get sweaty because he knew where they must be going. He didn't want to go there, he didn't want Shilo to have to go there. Yet here she was, dragging his trembling ass down into the horror.

Graverobber clenched his teeth and set his brow in determination. He would not let his sensitivities dictate how the situation played out.

Was he scared? No. Fuck no!

Worried. Yes. A lot.

But worrying wouldn't change Shilo's mind, so that shit had to stop.

He took the panicky, pathetic feelings he was having and shoved them deep, deep down in his gut.

The only thought he had left, was that he probably wasn't gonna get laid tonight.

The basement was damp and very dark. Shilo turned on a single light bulb hanging from a cord. It lit enough space that Graverobber could see the piles of furniture and picture frames covered in stiff sheets. It was an unsettling sight, in the dark, Graverobber felt he was surrounded by the looming ghosts of who this house had belonged to. Shilo disappeared into the darkness.

"Shilo…" He called after her, but he was met by a harsh 'shush' and then silence.

It was just him and the furniture ghosts.

He could hear Shilo shuffling, and what sounded like a heavy metal door, boots on a grate… Where was she?

Why did it bother Graverobber so much that he was standing in the RepoMan's workplace when Shilo skipped through it like it was nothing?

In fact, Shilo seemed perfectly comfortable with where she was and perfectly confident in what she was doing.

He was the one questioning everything, especially everything to do with Nathan Wallace and his career.

It wasn't that Graverobber was scared of the RepoMan. He never had a reason to be, no plastic parts, no fear of repossessions. But more it was the character behind the name.

Nathan Wallace was Shilo's _father_. He raised the woman that Graverobber was completely infatuated with, yet he was a horror to the entire rest of the city. He tortured hundreds, yet he tortured himself more than enough.

Shilo understood that, She'd just told Graverobber that she accepted her father's choices.

And her ability to walk through these halls and move in this room made it clear she wasn't interested in her father's dark side at all.

"Okay," Shilo called from somewhere in the dark, "You ready to go?"

"Kid, I really don't think you know what you're getting into." he insisted, glancing around for some sign of her nearby.

Suddenly a light clicked on across the room and Graverobber's eyebrow's shot up in surprise. Shilo stood in the circle of light, wearing her father's Repo uniform, only not exactly. the sleeves had been cut off and it hugged her torso tight, the slick fabric cinched at her slim waist. The hem ended just above her knees and had a slit on each side up to her hips. Underneath She wore skin tight leggings from the same fabric and ankle high, chunky black boots.

As Graverobber took in her new attire, Shilo raised her hands, covered up to her elbows in black gloves, to secure a wig of razor straight, neon pink hair on her head followed by a pair of bulky, dark goggles.

"Believe me Graves," Shilo said, flipping a small switch on the side of her goggles, the lenses became illuminated with a pale pink light that matched her wig, Shilo smiled, "I know exactly what I'm getting myself into."


	10. Chapter 10

Graverobber walked down an old alleyway. It was dark, but dawn would be coming in an hour or so. He tried to appear uninterested in his whereabouts, knowing that it had to seem casual. Shilo had outlined an intricate map for him to walk through, making sure he'd pass two or three of Amber's known "friends". They expected her to show up in minutes.

"So I'm bait." He'd said, watching Shilo climb up a rusty fire escape while he stayed down below. He made sure to steal a glance up at her ass while she climbed, loving how the black fabric clung to her hips.

"You're the lure." She had said to him, swinging herself over a railing onto a platform.

"Is that supposed to mean I'm sexy bait?" He called up to her.

He saw her neon pink goggles flash from inside a broken window.

"Just make your rounds, Graves," the lights disappeared, replaced with blackness. "I'll be around!" he heard, then nothing.

So Graverobber had walked his usual route, making sure he was seen, even making a few sales. Eventually he made it to the alley he frequented most nights. The dumpster he'd slept in just two nights ago now made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. Shilo's warm, cotton, soft sheets had spoiled him in just one short night.

He lifted the lid and assessed the filth.

So gross.

A clang from somewhere behind him made Graverobber jump. He dropped the dumpster lid with a loud 'thunk'.

"You!" a loud, nasal voice called to him. Graverobber turned and saw exactly what he expected. Amber Sweet strut towards him. She wore a long, platinum blonde wig of big curls and a red cocktail dress covered in crystals and tassels. Even her knee-high boots had fringe swishing around her ankles as she walked.

Her chain-studded ape-men stand on either side of her, staring blankly ahead.

Graverobber slips his face into his trademark grin.

"Shop's closed for the night." He says with a shrug. Amber slaps him hard across the face.

"You gutter rat!" She shrieks, "think you can blow me off for months and laugh in my face!"

Graverobber swaggers away from her reach, "You haven't had your own face in years."

Her lips twist into a snarl and Graverobber was sure the fake mole would pop right off her cheek.

"I'm gonna lock you up and dope you up and fuck you up so hard, you won't even remember your own name!" She screeches.

"Like hell you will." Shilo's voice rings through the alley. Amber spins away from Graverobber just in time to see her meatsack body guards fall unconscious and Shilo, tossing two empty syringes aside.

Graverobber sucks in a breath, he has no idea what's going to happen now.

A world class bitch fight?

The sexiest murder he'd ever seen?

Or the gruesomest?

"What are you doing here Wallace?" Amber sneers at her, hands on hips.

Graverobbers head snaps back and forth. Shilo? Wallace? Amber? What?!

"Wallace?" He had to say. Amber spins back to him.

"You see her there?" She says, pointing to Shilo who was standing calmly between the two men's bodies. Graverobber snorts.

"She's certainly something to see." He says, winking at Shilo.

Amber scoffs.

"Please, she's just some pathetic, sickly, orphan!" Amber takes two steps towards her, blonde curls bouncing. "Trying to save the world since daddy died."

Shilo moves close enough that Graverobber can see the anger in her eyes.

"My father was murdered you silicone, skinned, saline sipping, waste of a mouth." She says, the words making Amber shrink down in fear, "He was shot and bled out in front of a stiches-laced crowd with nothing better to do than watch with mock-sympathy and chat about the next day over coffee and painkillers."

Amber backs away from Shilo's menacing words. Her back finding the brick wall.

Graverobber wanted to clap, cheer, throw a fist in the air because he agreed with everything Shilo said. But he could see that she was not finished.

"Now, I told you exactly what to do. Why am I hearing about people being tortured? Do I need to reiterate my instructions? Again?" Shilo demanded. Amber pointed to Graverobber.

"Well he sees you. Can't pretend you're dead anymore! Can't keep pretending you're not real and I'm crazy! He can tell everyone I'm not crazy." Amber puts her hands back on her hips and Graverobber suddenly could not contain himself. He laughs.

Amber's proud smile wavers and she stares at him. Graverobber doubles over, his guffaws bouncing off the stone alleyway. He looks at Shilo and she grins, probably the most adorable thing he's ever seen.

When Graverobber's stomach finally felt like it was going to burst open, he straightens up and looks at Amber.

"You are crazy, batshit crazy, if you think I'm the person who's going to help someone like you." He says, moving a step closer to Shilo.

"Do you even know what this psycho bitch is doing?!" Amber pleads, "She's the crazy one!" Shilo sends a hand flying and it strikes Amber right across the face.

"Do not call me that." Shilo warns. Amber rubs the red splotch forming on her cheek, her gaze finds Graverobber again.

"She's why I wanted to find you. Why I've been combing the streets. Burning all the bodies. Cleansing all the Z-addicts. I was trying to find you." Her eyes glitter and her upper lip quivers; a well practiced trick.

"Yeah well," He says, putting an arm around Shilo who leans into it graciously, "She found me first. And I like it that way."

Amber's face transforms to a glare, she turns to Shilo.

"I'm gonna kill you for this Wallace. I'm gonna strap you down and pull that twisted little brain out through your ugly ass nose!" She growls. Shilo whips her hand up and plunges a syringe into the side of Amber's neck. Her knees wobble and she slides down to sit against the wall, her eyes fluttering shut.

"What was that?" Graverobber asks, leaning in to poke Amber's chin.

"Anesthesia combined with a mild hallucinogenic." Shilo tosses the empty syringe down the alley. "She won't know what was a dream or what was real. Just that she got smacked hard in the face." Shilo smiles up at Graverobber. "When I first started trailing her, she'd keep trying to make people believe her but they'd just call her insane. When Luigi threatened to take the company from her, she backed down. Now she never mentions it."

Graverobber smiles back at her.

"That's genius."

"Thanks." Shilo reached down and laced her fingers through his. "Sun's coming up. We should go home." She pulled him along the narrow street and into the rising sunlight, he followed willingly.

Home, he thought, leaving the dumpster and Amber festering behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

Graverobber threw his arms up in the air, his coat tails fanning out behind him.

"Best. Night. Ever!" He yelled out across the headstones.

They walked through the graveyard, not in a hurry, not hiding. Shilo now in a plain black, hooded shirt and tight jeans. She'd stashed the Repo outfit in her mother's crypt. Graverobber remembered how she'd been dressed the night before, when she was chasing the bug, had she just been out tormenting Amber Sweet?

The thought made him even more giddy.

Shilo laughed softly while Graverobber flew around the mosoleum.

"And what was that you called her? Plastic skinned…"

"Silicone skinned waste…" Shilo clarified.

"Waste of a mouth!" Graverobber finished. "Fucking yes!" He says, pointing to her, both arms outstretched. "Fuck. Yes." He laughs, "Coffee and painkillers, good God yes." He runs up the steps and pulls himself on to one of the hulking statues.

"Aren't you usually more… composed?" Shilo asks, leaning against the stone wall. "Ducking into shadows, lurking behind head stones." She slid her body around the corner, out of the light. Graverobber leapt down to follow her. He presses close in the dark, Shilo's back against the wall.

"You don't get it, Kid," He put a hand on the edge of her hip. "I had to be that, that's how I stayed alive this whole time. I played the part, I shot up junkies, I fucked Amber Sweet! But you…" He leaned in closer, Shilo's eyes looked up at him with an allure that already drove him wild. "You bucked the system, you're above it all, and for some reason, I have no Idea why, you brought me up here too."

He stroked her cheek gently before leaning in to kiss her.

This kiss was not a hungry one, though Graverobber was plenty hungry for Shilo's touch. But this kiss was soft, gentle, grateful; Graverobber could think of no other way to thank Shilo for what she'd done for him.

Her hands travelled up his shoulders and their bodies pressed closer together until Graverobber could feel Shilo's heartbeat between them. He did not move, but staed perfectly still, his lips pressed to hers.

Shilo clung to him, her heart beating fast, her hands shaking. When Graverobber pulled away, he was astonished to see Shilo had tears in her eyes.

"What is it?" He said, reaching down to brush the little drops from her cheeks. Shilo blinked, like she was surprised the tears were actually there. Then she smiled.

"I just, I can't believe you're really here." She said, her eyes still looking sad. "I keep thinking I'll wake up and you'll be long gone."

Gone? Graverobber couldn't imagine ever leaving Shilo now. After these past two nights, the rollercoaster ride she'd put his emotions through.

Graverobber would have never thought, in a world where he carved a niche in death, that he could feel so completely alive.

Graverobber looked deep into Shilo's chocolate brown eyes. He studied them more carefully than he thought possible. but he still couldn't find the answer he was searching for.

"Why do you want me?" he asked, his voice coming out in a breath.

Shilo's brow furrowed, as if she didn't understand him.

Maybe she didn't hear, Graverobber thought.

"I thought it was obvious," She said, now Graverobber looked at her with confusion. "I mean, you have to know, Graves, I've been in love with you ever since that night in the alley."

Graverobber's breath halted.

Love? _Love?!_

His mind took off like a bullet. _No no no no no no no no. Not good. Tell her no. Tell her nothing. Run! Run away! _

He took a clumsy step back. Shilo's arms stayed outstretched for a moment before dropping to her sides, palms pressed against the stone wall. Her face was contorted in worry. Graverobber couldn't imagine how his own face must look.

He felt like he was going to throw up. He guessed he must look it too.

"Are you okay?" Shilo asked.

The last word punched him in the gut. All the blood rushed to his face and Graverobber was briefly grateful for the thick, white makeup he wore.

_Just turn and run. You can't do this. You're a fucking monster! How could you let this happen!?_

"Graves, are you okay?" Shilo asked again.

Suddenly, it was like a cord snapped in his brain.

_THWAP!_

And all the words tumbled down and spewed out of his mouth.

"Are you?!" He said, a little louder than he wanted. Shilo flinched. "Are you crazy are you high are you on something? Please say yes."

That way he could understand. Girls confessed their love all the time when they were doped up.

Shilo set her gaze on him.

"No." Her eyes giving away the pain his words were causing. But he couldn't stop himself.

_It's too late. You're too far gone._

"What's the matter with you then kid?!" Graverobber braced himself against a rotting tree. The whole graveyard was spinning. Shilo turned her face down. "This night was going so well." He grumbled.

_You blew it. _The words burned in his head as silently cursed himself. _You let your own selfish shit drag her in. You should have never stayed. Selfish selfish prick. _

Shilo kicked at the dirt.

"You could have just said you don't feel the same." She muttered at her feet.

Graverobber peaked out from his hair that had fallen over his face.

"What?" He croaked out.

Shilo turned on him.

"You don't have to be an asshole just say you don't love me too!" She hollered at him. the loudest he'd ever heard Shilo speak.

Graverobber could feel the gears turning in his brain. Processing Shilo's words, then attempting to formulate a response.

_She doesn't understand._

"I can't say that to you." He told her.

"Why? You've said everything else!" She said. Her voice cut through the air. Graverobber would never think of Shilo Wallace to look intimidating. But the look in her eyes now could turn a man to stone.

_You need to be gentle._

"I…" He took two steps closer to her. "You know how I feel about you."

_Everything. Remember Shilo? I feel everything._

Shilo glared at him.

"You just called me…"

"You are crazy." He said, interrupting her and crossing all the way back so she could see him clearly. Shilo's jaw was set, her gaze focused on his. "It makes sense for me to be in love with you." Shilo's mouth relaxed. "It'd be impossible to imagine me not loving you." Shilo's eyes settled. "But…" Graverobber's mouth felt dry. He was so close to her, his voice barely coming out. "You are not supposed to love me, Kid." Tears brimmed in Shilo's eyes. Graverobber reached down to brush them away.

"You can do a lot better than me."

She stared up at him, eyes glistening like the stars he'd never seen. She brought her hands up to the sides of his face. Graverobber felt Shilo pull his face down to hers. He did not resist her.

Shilo kissed him first on his forehead and then lightly on the lips. She held him there. Their brows touching, Graverobber listened to her breathing. His heart racing in his chest. His palms were sweaty. His throat still dry.

Shilo ran his fingers down through his tangled dreds.

"I love you." She said, "For who you are when we are together. I love you more than anyone in this shitty world."

And she kissed him again.

_No running now. _


	12. Chapter 12

***I WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO THANK EVERYONE FOR FOLLOWING. I ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. THIS IS NOT THE END FOR GRAVEROBBER AND SHILO. BUT THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME. YOU HAVE ALL BEEN SO PATIENT AND ENTHUSIASTIC. I AM SO HAPPY TO FINALLY WARN YOU ALL THAT THIS CHAPTER IS **LEMON! LEMON! LEMON! **PLEASE ENJOY. REJOICE. AND FOLLOW "DON'T GO CHASING FLIES" FOR MORE***

Getting home that morning had not been easy. They couldn't keep their hands off each other for more than two steps. Getting through the passageway got them both a couple scrapes and bruises. They crashed through the fireplace, Graverobber holding Shilo tight against him, their lips locked, tongues dueling.

With a trail of clothing leading up the stairway, they eventually made it to the bedroom.

Shilo down to just her bra and jeans, Graverobber wearing just his boots and pants, already unzipped by Shilo's curious hands.

He was attempting to kick off his boots while maintaining a kiss when Shilo pulled away.

"Hang on," She said, and hurried out.

Graverobber sat on the bed and pulled his boots off. The bathroom faucet came on and he laid back, feet still on the floor. When Shilo padded in, he sat up on his elbows. She was still in her bra and jeans but she was holding a washcloth in her hands.

Straddling him where he sat, Shilo wiped the damp towel down his face.

It was warm and her hands were gentle; brushing back his hair, smiling when he flinched.

"I just want to see your face." She said when he was clean.

Graverobber felt vulnerable, but a good kind of vulnerable. He'd never been with a woman without his facade in place.

It was different with Shilo

_Everything will be different with Shilo._

Graverobber pulled her close, when they kissed, the fire resumed. In a tumble, Shilo's pants were gone and her hand had wandered below his waistline yet again.

Graverobber was hard, he had been. As inexperienced as she was, Shilo had very skilled hands.

Graverobber moaned as he kissed her neck. Shilo impatiently pulled at his pants until he stood and removed them. Shilo took off the rest of her clothing and pulled the sheets over herself.

With one hand she beckoned him back into bed.

Graverobber could not oblige fast enough.

He took a second to grab a condom out of the nightstand where he'd hid them. Shilo raised her eyebrows as he climbed under the covers with her.

"when did you…?" She asked.

"I like to be prepared, babe." He said, ripping the wrapper open with his teeth and rolling it on under the sheet.

He then turned back to Shilo and began kissing her again.

Their naked bodies became tangled together in no time at all. Legs, arms, there was no separating them.

Graverobber kissed every piece of Shilo he could bring his mouth to. Lips, neck, ear, shoulder, breasts, nipples, stomach, and lower.

Shilo's moans would have been loud enough to shake pictures off the wall, if any were hanging.

Her fingers dug into Graverobber's hair as his tongue worked between her thighs.

His hands snaked underneath to grab Shilo's ass and keep her from wiggling out of place.

Her arms flailed out, gripping the sheets, scraping down the wall, pulling his hair.

Her screams of pleasure were deafening but to Graverobber it sounded like a symphony.

When she came, Shilo's body clenched and she froze, back arched, and no sound escaped her open mouth.

Her body twitched and spasmed until she collapsed into heavy panting.

Graverobber crawled on top of her, his throbbing length resting impatiently near Shilo's hip.

He brushed the tangled curls from her face and kissed both her cheeks.

Shilo wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling dreamily, she glanced down at his prominent groin.

Graverobber licked his lips, still tasting Shilo on them.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

_Are you sure? _Is what he meant.

Shilo looked into his uncertain eyes then kissed him hard while wrapping her legs around his waist. Graverobber groaned into her mouth as he could feel the warmth on his erection.

_This is it. It's really happening. _

He entered Shilo slowly, gasping as every inch felt as amazing as the last. He stared down at Shilo's face to make sure she was not in any pain.

Her eyes were closed and her mouth clenched tightly, but every second or so she'd let out a soft "mmm…" that sent an icy tingle down Graverobber's spine.

When he began to move in and out, Shilo's eyes shot open and her fingers laced into his hair.

Graverobber held her gaze, loving how she gasped and clung to him.

He began to pulse faster, swooping down to nibble beneath Shilo's ear. She cried out and raked her nails down his back.

The sensation made him growl with pleasure.

Graverobber thought about the woman he'd allowed himself to be with before. Cheap, filthy, fake women. He tried to remember what it had felt like.

But nothing had ever felt like this.

Thrusting in and out of Shilo, feeling her lips on his, her breath on his neck…

Knowing she loved him.

Knowing she'd be there when he woke up.

Knowing he wasn't alone; would never be alone again as long as Shilo loved him.

It was like every nerve in his body was electrified.

Shilo clenched tighter and her body shook.

As Shilo's second orgasm racked through her, Graverobber felt his own release in a wave of fire down his body.

He came hard.

Harder than he could ever remember cumming in his life.

When their bodies finally relaxed, Graverobber felt lightheaded.

He collapsed beside her, inhaling the smell of sex mixed with Shilo's floral perfume.

He discarded the contraception, sending it under the bed, out of sight.

Graverobber pulled Shilo into his arms.

They lay together, catching their breath.

It was bliss.

The two of them there, naked, tangled in the sheets, Shilo tracing the scars on his chest.

Graverobber's mind was finally calm.

"You are beautiful." He whispered to her.

Shilo curled closer and kissed his neck.

Graverobber though back to the black lipstick swatch Shilo had left on his collarbone the day before.

A playful show of love.

Graverobber still couldn't believe that Shilo loved him.

Couldn't believe he felt it too.

The world was alive again.

The world was Shilo now.

"I love you, Graves." She said as he drifted down into sleep.

_I love you. _


	13. Chapter 13

Graverobber had never been in love before.

He didn't know what it does to the body. To the head.

Over the days that followed he began to notice the little changes in how he saw Shilo. There was still that animalistic attraction that lived in his gut. That impulsive need to pull her close, kiss her hard and never let go.

But Graverobber didn't know that other things could come to mind when you looked at the person you loved.

When Shilo would go into her father's room, he'd watch through the crack in the door. She'd pick up a journal, crawl into the worn armchair and begin reading. Graverobber found he loved the way Shilo read. Her legs curled beneath her, face resting on her palm; hours she'd stay like that. Sometimes her brow would furrow if she was confused, or she'd stand up to test some movement on her own body, trying to understand the way muscles and bones worked beneath her skin. Quiet determination that Graverobber didn't know could be so adorable.

Shilo would say strange things too that he later realized were testaments of her own affection.

Things like, "we should stay in bed forever." when they woke up, or "don't hide your scars" when he turned away from her to undress.

For some reason, it took a while for Graverobber to get past his own insecurities. He didn't think that Shilo could want to see his mangled body, or stay curled in the crook of his arm all day.

But when you love someone, everything they are is beautiful.

And every time they made love, Graverobber fell for her all over again.

He'd traced every inch of her skin, the planes of her face, the roundness of her breasts, even the thin lines on her legs from her rapid growth this past year.

Everything Shilo was, he loved.

One morning, when the sky was it's usual clouded red, Graverobber slipped out of bed early to try and fix breakfast.

This would be his third attempt.

His first try resulted in some undercooked meat that had him and Shilo fighting for the bathroom all night.

The second led to a small fire that he managed to subdue quickly at the sacrifice of his own shirt. Leaving him to explain the smoky kitchen and his bare chest to Shilo who was lost in a fit of hysteric laughter.

But this time he hoped to redeem himself.

Graverobber made sure the pan was hot enough before soaking the bread in eggs and laying it down to cook. Then waited to flip it until he was sure nothing was raw.

He cleaned the plate and even warmed the syrup on the side.

The syrup had been the most expensive thing. It was all synthetic because there weren't any trees for sap left anywhere. The hydroponic chambers could produce sugar cane and plenty of other vegetables, but they couldn't sustain a whole tree.

Graverobber wasn't sure he'd ever seen a healthy tree in his life.

But the syrup was important. Shilo had said her dad would stir it in with her medicine when she was little but stopped when she got older. Then it became a treat, something her dad would only give her if she was feeling really sick or sad. Toast with syrup, Shilo's favorite food.

He hoped he'd done it right, hope she'd be excited to have it.

Graverobber could hear Shilo moving upstairs, perfect timing. At the last second he decided to grab a handful of the dried flowers from outside the door.

Shilo might tease him about it but he wanted everything to be perfect.

He went to the front entrance that, since moving in, he had never opened.

Pulling open the heavy inner door, Graverobber cursed under his breath.

Slumped against the wrought iron grate was a girl. A drugged out slag if Graverobber ever saw one.

Why she was half crawled up Shilo's front stoop, he had no idea.

He also had no idea if she was even breathing.

Graverobber slowly pushed the door open, snaking his arm out first to keep the girl from toppling down the steps.

Once the door was open her body fell flat at his feet and he recognized she was the other waitress from Lynn's. The one The Bitch had been snickering with when he'd gone to visit Shilo. She was barely dressed, either on purpose or by accident. There was a long cut on her upper arm that looked like it had bled a lot. There was a pool of red on the concrete beneath her.

Graverobber cursed again. He bent down to check her pulse and the girl stirred.

"Nng…" She opened her mouth to speak and a slew of vomit poured out.

Graverobber jumped back. Of all the times to be barefoot.

Clutching the door frame, trying to avoid the filth, he nudged the girl with his foot.

"Hey… You. Get up." He said, jostling her. "You can't stay here."

"Nng…" the girl tried to speak again, "Nat…" She managed to get the words past her tongue. "Nat… where's Nat?"

"What are you…" Graverobber did not need this right now. He was trying to be romantic Goddamnit.

"What's going on?" Shilo asked, suddenly pushing past him. She was wearing her chunky, black boots but they were untied. Like she just yanked them on and came out.

She walked right through the vomit to cradle the girl's face.

"Mally? Hey, Mally, wake up. Open your eyes." Shilo demanded softly.

"Nat… I didn't…" The girl, Mally, started.

"Shh. It's okay. Let's go. I got you." Shilo started to lift the girl. "Help me." She told Graverobber. He looked at her confused, were they gonna throw her over the fence or something?

"Graves. Help. Now!" Shilo commanded. He grabbed the girl's other arm and hoisted her up. Shilo ran inside and veered right to the living room.

"Hurry up, lay her on the coffee table." She called.

He gagged at the smell coming off of the girl's body. Shilo quickly laid down a thick towel on top of the long, coffee table. Graverobber lay her down and the girl immediately lurched to the side. Shilo just barely got a basin under her in time for the next cascade of bile to erupt.

He watched, stunned, while Shilo gently held back the girl's hair and spoke to her softly. When she was done puking, Shilo coaxed her onto her back and turned her attention to the deep cut on her arm.

"Graves," She said, "can you get me a bucket of warm water, a big bowl, and a wash cloth?" Graverobber just stared, confused and hypnotized. Shilo looked at him intensely. " Graves. Please?"

He blinked and rushed out of the room to get what she needed.


	14. Chapter 14

He blinked and rushed out of the room to get what she needed.

When Graverobber returned with the biggest bucket he could find filled with steaming water, Shilo immediately got up and took the bowl and washcloth from where it was tucked under his other arm.

"Set that on the floor towards her head." She instructed. Graverobber was confused to the point where he couldn't do anything other than what Shilo said to do. As he set the bucket down, Graverobber noticed that Shilo had tied the girl, Mally's, hair back and removed the basin full of vomit. Now she lay there on the coffee table, groaning and occasionally twitching.

Shilo set the bowl down beside the bucket along with a large, black, medical bag. It looked old and heavy, it even made a loud "thud" when she set it down.

"What are you going to do?" He asked, the girl was half dead already.

"Shh!" Shilo said curtly while opening the bag. She pulled a syringe out along with a bottle of clear liquid. Graverobber couldn't see the label but it wasn't blue and it didn't glow.

Once Shilo had the syringe full, she moved automatically, injecting the medicine into Mally's forearm. Straight into the vein. Next she took the washcloth and soaked it in the warm water, then Shilo began cleaning out the wound.

Silently, he watched as Shilo became a medical machine and rinsed away the gore. Soaking the cloth, lightly scrubbing Mally's wound, and wringing the towel over the empty bowl. She didn't even flinch as the big chunks of scab fell away or the flaps of skin curled over her fingers.

When the cut was clean, Graverobber could see that it went from the inside of her bicep to almost the back of her shoulder. Like something sharp caught her and she twisted to get away.

The water bucket was half empty. Shilo pushed the bowl of bloody water aside, then turned to the medical bag again. Graverobber stepped around to pick up the bowl.

"Should I dump this?"

Shilo looked up, almost like she was surprised to see him there. She nodded quickly.

"Outside. Thanks" And gave him a half smile before unscrewing the cap on a thick, brown bottle, soaking a cotton with the potent contents.

Graverobber took the bowl to the bathroom and washed the smell of salt and rust down the drain.

When he went back to the living room, Shilo was already in the process of sewing Mally's arm back together. She didn't even seem to feel it. The girl's eyes were shut hard, her head turned away, like if she looked at Shilo's hands, the cut would be real.

Shilo spoke softly to her too. Things like "Nearly there" "only the epidermis" "you're doing good" "breathe now, it's okay"

Graverobber watched. Hypnotized by Shilo.

The wound wasn't what shocked him. He'd seen people with far worse out in the streets. But he never thought to _do_ anything for them.

That's when Graverobber realized. Mally had crawled to Shilo's door. She'd used every last bit of strength she had to get there. Which meant that Mally knew Shilo could help her and trusted that she'd be safe there.

Did that mean Shilo did this sort of thing on the regular?

The way people sought him out in the dumpsters and alleys to get their nightly fix. Did those same people end up at Shilo's front door when they had a stitch too many?

Shilo finished sewing the cut shut, neat and tiny X's snaking up Mally's shoulder. It was thin enough that Graverobber could almost mistake it for a tattoo were it not for the pinkish, red line beneath it.

Shilo used the rest of the water to rinse off Mally's face, chest, and arms. Then she draped a thick blanket over her, so that only her head was exposed.

"Try to sleep okay? Just try and relax." Shilo said, pushing Mally's hair back in a soothing gesture.

"it...hurts. still." She forced out in a slur. "...some more. please." Mally began fidgeting, her gaze going to the medical bag.

"No, no, no," Shilo said, gently putting a the warm cloth on Mally's head and pressing down. "You have all you need. Just breathe through the pain. It'll fade. After a while, it always fades. I promise. You have all you need."

Then she started packing up the supplies and put them away.

Graverobber had to turn and go back to the kitchen. Watching Shilo work like that suddenly made him feel uneasy. Like he was dancing on a line between being panicked and awestruck.

He'd watched her read through her father's old medical journals for weeks, knowing that it was how she passed her time. Learning, discovering, but not fixing, not mending.

This was a city where everything fell apart and no one took the time to put them back together.

But, of course, Shilo would be the one to change that.

"hey." He spun around at the sound of Shilo in the doorway. Arms folded over her chest. "what was your problem back there? You looked… like you were judging me or something."

Graverobber's face tightened, had his expression been cold? He didn't mean for it to be.

"I wasn't." He said, not sure if Shilo was mad or worried. It was too soon to tell.

"You wanted to leave her there." Shilo said, salt in her tone. "You wanted to throw her out."

Graverobber shook his head, raising his hands in submission.

"I was only confused. I didn't know…" He gestured widely towards the living room, "I didn't know she had a reason to be there."

Shilo didn't seem satisfied.

"You weren't even going to try to help her? She was _dying_ Graves." Her eyes were wild, like she might cry. At that moment, Graverobber recognized the tone of her voice. What it meant.

She was disappointed in him.

He immediately felt abashed.

Graverobber put his palms up in surrender.

"I'm sorry, I … misinterpreted the situation." He tried to look innocent.

Shilo's eyes burned like she had more to say but she bit her lip instead. She dragged her hands down the sides of her face, exhaling slowly.

Graverobber thought she still looked upset. He didn't know what to say other than to apologize a third time. It wasn't like he had much experience with long term relationships or arguing with women in the first place. Was he just supposed to be quiet and let her yell at him? Or should he keep apologizing?

Shilo's gaze drifted around the kitchen until it came to rest on the table. Her eyes widened. The breakfast Graverobber had slaved over still sat there. Unnoticed until now. The toast was most definitely cold and the syrup had developed a thin skin across the top. But there it sat, making him look even more stupid than he already felt.

Shilo was mad at him.

The breakfast was cold.

His happiness was over.

He opened his mouth to apologize again but stopped when he saw Shilo had tears in her eyes. Immediately Graverobber was across the room, arms around her.

"Hey, what is it? What's wrong? Is it the toast? Did I mess it up? I thought it would make you happy." He kissed her forehead and pat her hair while Shilo sniffed against his chest.

"No. No." Shilo finally said, "It's just...it's sweet. It's really nice. I just didn't expect you to be so nice, especially when I… I'm sorry." Shilo wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said again.

Graverobber took a half step back, keeping a hold on her shoulders.

"You think I don't care about you?" He asked. Almost offended that after everything they'd gone through together, all he'd told her, how she could possibly doubt him.

"No that's not it," Shilo protested, weaving her fingers into his long hair. "I didn't know how you cared. People care in different ways. Sometimes it doesn't come out so nice."

_Like her father._ Graverobber thought. He went crazy with caring. Graverobber cupped Shilo's face in his hands.

"I care about you in every way I know how." He assured her. And Graverobber didn't even know how many ways he could love her yet, all he knew was that he wanted to. More than anything in life, he wanted to prove he was good enough for her.

Shilo pulled him closer and pressed a kiss to his lips. A serious kiss, the kind where you almost don't want to open your eyes because it could ruin the whole thing.

Shilo broke them apart with a short laugh. Then let out another at Graverobber's questioning look.

"It's just sort of funny," Shilo said, the tears now drying on her cheeks.

"It is?"

Shilo sniffed and her eyes took on that familiar seriousness that made her look wise beyond her years.

"It's funny because," their eyes locked, "I didn't know I'd love you so much."


End file.
